Spotlight Sunday: Volume 2

Okay sugars, this weeks spotlight Sunday comes to you featuring only one brand: Too Faced. This week I recieved FOUR of their Melted Liquified Longwear Lipsticks to try and review, and I'm so thankful! If you've seen my makeup collection, you'll know that it consists of mostly lipsticks, and the four shades these came in are actually new to my collection, so I'm excited to tell y'all all about these!

The lightest shade I got was Melted Peony, which is a light dusty rose. This one is more sheer than the others, but once it dries it lasts quite a while! I layered it with a lipliner that matches my lips (I can't remember the brand) and that gave it even more staying power. I do wish it was a bit more pigmented.

Melted Jelly Donut was the next shade, and this one was way more pigmented than the Melted Peony, and was more of an opaque formula as opposed to the sheerness. Melted Jelly Donut was a bright pink-ish purple, the perfect color for a day by the pool.

The next shade I tried was Melted Candy, which was oh so hot pink! I'm not used to a shade so neon, but honestly I think it's super fun! This is a lot like Melted Jelly Donut, but with more of a true pink tone. Both proved, once again, the staying power of these lipsticks. I had to end up using a lip brush with them and the Melted Jelly Donut, because the applicator (while so soft and fluffy) applies a little messily, and once this is on your lips, it's staying!

Melted Berry was my favorite of the lot. This was the darkest shade Too Faced sent, and it's a beautiful, well... Berry color! Honestly, this was such a fitting name for this color. Melted Berry was less opaque than Melted Jelly Donut and and Melted Candy, but that gave it a softness. This is more of a gloss finish, but it's such a beautiful color.

My overall review on these? I have a love-hate relationship with the applicator. It's so soft, but I always always always have to switch to a lip brush to make it clean. HOWEVER, the staying power is amazing, and so surprising from lipsticks that are glossy. I have never experienced longevity like this from lipsticks that aren't matte, so that alone outweighs the slight negativity I feel for the applicator.

 This photo is of me wearing Too Faced Melted Peony Liquified Longwear Lipstick. Perfect shade of light pink for a demure lip!

What's your favorite shade of this Lipstick? Let me know in the comments below!

Spotlight Sunday: Volume 1

Hey sugars, and happy Sunday! More importantly, happy Father's day! Now, I know I should probably have a Daddy Day post coming out, but that's not what I've got today. Besides, things were too crazy here to have a mother's day post, so let that be my excuse ;)

No, y'all, what I have for you today is part of a new installment that I'm hoping to have up on the blog on a weekly basis called Spotlight Sunday, where I'll be reviewing my favorite product(s) from the week. I've recently been really focusing on the beauty part of blogging (though I will still be blogging on parenting, recipes, and lifestyle matters) lately, and I've found that I LOVE when I can find a product I love and tell other people about it. I'm the type of person who always searches for reviews of EVERYTHING before I buy, so I'm hoping to offer help to those who want it and of course give credit where it's due!

The first product I'm spotlighting this weekend is the IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil in Universal Taupe. This is what the IT Cosmetics website has to say about this product:

Brow Power® matches all hair colors and covers gray perfectly. The oval shaped tip is perfect for both thin and thick brows. The spooley end brush gives a natural polished look! Developed with leading plastic surgeons, our proprietary anti-aging technology infuses a blend of brow-conditioning ingredients including Saw Palmetto, Nettle Extract, Green Tea, Biotin, Lecithin, Vitamins A, C, E, Grape Seed and Panthenol. Our exclusive, transforming shade adjusts to every hair color based on how hard you press to give you a beautiful, natural-looking brow. Paraben-free, Fragrance-free, Phthalate-free and Sulfate-free. Full brow lift guide included with each pencil.

I received this product from IT Cosmetics to review just yesterday, and I'm so happy I was able to do that! Some people received Brow Power in their ipsy bags this month, however I was not one of them. I contacted IT Cosmetics and simply asked if they had any additional samples that I could review on TVP and within moments a super friendly representative said she would send me a Brow Power Pencil! Within 2 days of speaking to her, I found the pencil in the mail. Right off the bat I'm SO impressed with this company already because I loved their customer service.

Now, for the pencil itself. I am really picky about my brow products because I have such thick eyebrows naturally, but also because I've not been able to find many products that match my brows. The color of this Brow Pencil is called Universal Taupe, so it has a cool tone to it. What I love about this is that the color you get is based on the pressure you use when applying it, so you can have a light OR a dark brow with this one pencil! It went on so easily, and the oval shape did make it simpler to line underneath and above my brow to shape it, but then go back and draw a few "hairs" in to give my brows that "messy chic" look. I'm also really impressed with the spooley that it has on the end, as I have usually experienced eyebrow spooleys on the ends of pencils to be quite flimsy. However, the Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil spooley is actually pretty sturdy! All in all this pencil is going to leave my other brow products out of a job for the time being because I'm so into it! Bravo, IT Cosmetics!

The next product I'm going to be showcasing is honestly one of the best purchases I've made in a while: The Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe.

Oh my lanta.

This stuff is a game changer. After hearing about it from one of my favorite youtubers Arna Alayne, and looking up reviews, I finally found it at WalMart and decided it was worth a shot. Great decision. So far I've used this product as eyeshadow, as an eyebrow product (it goes amazingly with Brow Power!), as the perfect contour for my pale skin, and even as a lipstick! But guys, let me say this real quick: If you buy a product and you're using it for more than one use, especially interchangeably between eyes and mouth, sanitize the product and your brushes between uses. This is very important for the sake of your health, please keep that in mind! Anyway, Tough as Taupe has blown my mind. It is the first contour product I've found that hasn't turned me orange and actually creates the illusion of a shadow, and it is amazing as a base for both your eyeshadow and lips because it lasts so freakin' long. Seriously, for example, I put Tough as Taupe on my lips as a base yesterday before using my NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm, and it stayed on for over 6 hours. Perfectly. Honestly, I could write a book on this stuff, but instead I'm just going to tell you to go get it and see for yourself. At around $7.00 USD, this is a steal.

The last thing I want to highlight is of course the aforementioned NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm. After purchasing this lippie in the shade Transylvania last fall, and receiving the ever famous Copenhagen as a gift for my birthday in February, I already loved and had faith in the formula. I purchased Stockholm for myself on a whim while looking for other mauve lip colors to try as well. This is the perfect "my lips but better" color on its own, but I like to put a thin coat over my other lipsticks to give it a softer effect. As I mentioned before, I used this over Tough as Taupe yesterday, and it created the most perfect dusty rose color. I keep this one in my travel makeup bag, because I do love it so much! Once again NYX has exceeded my expectations!

For this photo, I used the IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil in Universal Taupe on my brows. I used Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe to fill in my brows as well. I also used it as a contour and a base for my lip. I used NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm over the Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow on my lips to create a matte Dusty Rose effect.

Well sugars, that's it for this week's Spotlight Sunday! Check back next week to see what makes the cut! Have a wonderful week, and keep smiling!

Have something you want me to try/showcase/review? Leave me a comment below and I'll do my best!

My Skincare Regimen

The saying goes, "Love the skin you're in", yet I've only recently started to take measures to make sure that my skin lasts me as long as it can. I've been asked what my skin care regimen is a few times, and I love sharing it! However, I'm always looking to try new products, so if you have a go-to item, please let me know! Keep in mind as well that I am a newbie so, while you are free to ask me ANY questions, I'm by no means an expert. ;)




































I honestly am not even sure what to call my skin type. My cheeks and jawline stay super dry, but my nose and brow area are pretty oily. I try to use products to moisturize where I need it and help with oiliness where I need that as well. I typically like to do this at night, so I can give my skin a few hours to absorb all the nutrients and "breathe" before I put makeup on in the morning, so I start by washing all makeup off of my face. My favorite face wash is actually something you can pick up on the way home at your local Wal-Mart or grocery store, and that's Clean and Clear's Morning Burst Skin Brightening Facial Cleanser. I have tried a LOT of facial soap and this is by far the best to me. My skin looks visibly brighter after I wash my face with this, and my skin feels tighter and younger as well. However, it does tend to dry me out if used alone.

At this point I apply a small amount of Mitchell and Peach Fine Radiance Face Oil. I received this face oil in my February Ipsy bag, and I'm obsessed. Among quite a few other things, it  contains Vitamin E which acts as an anti-oxidant, as well as Vitamin B to even skin tone.

While my skin absorbs the face oil, I take some time to brush my teeth or braid my hair so that I make sure I'm absorbing the nutrients. Then, I get started with moisturizer. Now, this is the most important part for me. Moisturizing changed my life. My makeup stays on better, my skin feels softer, and honestly I'm not nearly as oily as I was before I started moisturizing, which is a common misconception. I bounce between Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask and Avon's Anew Clinical Overnight Hydration Mask. These two products are in the same price range, and they both work so well with my skin, which is why I bounce back and forth, depending on my mood. I will say that I prefer the scent of Origins more, and I've been a fan longer. You may remember it being featured in my August Beauty Faves post a few months back!

Lastly, I have SUCH dry lips, especially since I've begun wearing matte lipsticks! To fight this and keep my lips super smooth, I like to apply the Mojito Lip Balm by Malin and Goetz before I go to bed, and give my lips plenty of time to absorb all the moisture. This is another product that I received in a Glam Bag (read my review here), so Ipsy has really helped me to shape my routine!

I am loving this regimen, simply because I wake up feeling so much better! My skin is not as problematic, and my makeup is easier to apply. So tell me, what is your go to skincare routine, and what should I try? Maybe you'll see a follow-up post with the ideas and products I'm referred!

TGIF and have an amazing weekend!

Ipsy Glam Bag Review - February 2015

This months Ipsy Bag arrived for me on my birthday, so it was absolutely perfect timing! Not to mention, Ipsy has been stepping up their game recently in my opinion. Cue their redesigned website that makes it SO much easier to navigate! I'll cut to the chase here, but I do just want to say I'm so pleased with Ipsy lately and I'm glad they're improving!

Ipsy is NOT paying me to write this review, nor are they sponsoring it. This review is based on my honest opinion, and that's what I'll be giving. Keep in mind as well that these are 5 of a large variety of products that Ipsy sent out this month, and that all bags may differ.

I received the following in my February Glam Bag:

Mitchell And Peach Fine Radiance Face Oil

I love this product. I'm just now starting to formulate a skin care regimen that is working for me (I got my first wrinkle at 19--No really!-- so I need to step up my skincare game). Now you may be skeptical about applying OIL to your face, but trust me, the Mitchell and Peach Face Oil makes my skin so much brighter. I just apply it alone or under my moisturizer before I go to sleep and my skin looks refreshed when I wake up! LOVE this product!

ModelCo BLUSH Cheek Powder

Subscribers receiving the ModelCo blush in their Glam bag received one of 2 shades. Peach Bellini or Cosmopolitan. I received the shade Cosmopolitan, and while I was hoping to get the Peach Bellini (obviously, right? I know, I'm pretty transparent), I'm actually pretty pleased with this blush! It's subtle enough that I don't look like a clown when I don it, but buildable for those days that I need some extra colour. And the packaging is super cute, so there's that ;)

Up All Night Volumizing Spray by Eva NYC

Now, this may not be a fair review as I've not really used this product more than a couple times, but when it comes to the Up All Night Volumizing Spray... Meh. It says its purpose is to "add life and volume" to hair... I just don't see it. I didn't really experience a difference, as I do when I use the 450º  Blow Out spray I received in a bag I got a few months ago by Style Sexy Hair. In the words (or word, rather) of my little H... Sowwy!

Creamy Lip Stain by City Color Cosmetics in Flirtini

Let me begin by saying I loved this product's formula... but the hot pink lip, guys. The hot pink lip is NOT my look. I keep receiving hot pink lip colors and I keep trying to wear them, and I keep ending up looking like what I refer to as a "lady of the night". Not a good shade for my fair complexion, but again the formula of the Creamy Lip Stain is amazing. It goes on quite matte and, well, creamy and it is actually pretty lasting. It didn't work on me, but it looks great on my mom!

Professional Eye Lash Curler by Emite Makeup

This eyelash curler is actually a pretty good makeup tool, especially considering the fact that my eyelash curler recently kicked the bucket. Ummmm also it is $25 DOLLARS full retail, so I was so excited to get this! I don't have much to say about this product, it's sturdy and it gets the job done without pulling my eyelashes out and killing me to death, and my eyelashes keep the curl longer. *borat voice* Verrry nice. ;)

That's it for my bag this month, as I said I'm really excited to see what other changes are in store for Ipsy!

What did you get in your Glam Bag this month and what was your favorite? If you haven't signed up for Ipsy and are looking to do so, please use my referral link and earn me some ipsypoints! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me on facebook, twitter, or email me!

Sephora Beauty Consultation Review

For those of you who aren't aware, I happen to share my birthday with a holiday. It's like... my thing. I couldn't imagine it being any other way, because let me tell you, I'd probably hate Valentine's Day if that weren't the day I made my entrance into this earth. That's right, I hit the big 21 on the 14th, and as a gift to myself, I got a beauty consultation at Sephora, among many other things that I'll mention in another post soon!

The consultation I scheduled required a $50 purchase, but I had a gift card and I knew I was more than capable of spending that much, so I was golden. I scheduled my appointment about 2 weeks beforehand to make sure I could get it, as it was the friday of Valentine's weekend. So, when the day arrived, I went out in public as advised... Sans makeup. Yikes.

I arrived about 15 minutes early, and shopped as I waited for my consultant. Adding to the ever growing makeup wish list I've got tucked away in my bullet journal. At long last, an employee approached me to prepare my skin. She asked about my daily makeup routine, as I explained to her that, yes, although I work behind a desk and do not have contact with customers, I still do my makeup every single day. She gave me tips on what moisturizers to use and whatnot, and my consultant came over to get started. I let her know I was looking for a full coverage foundation look. although she said I didn't need it (I promise I do, the lighting in the photo above was just ridiculously forgiving), and that I had had issues contouring my fair skin without looking too orange. She addressed all my needs and any questions I had were answered! My biggest takeaway from the consultation is that I finally learned how to better contour, and even found not just one but TWO cool contour options!

This is how my makeup turned out. I felt so unbelievably pretty afterwards, and really I’ve been able to implement a much better highlight/contouring routine so that it looks a lot more natural!

These are the products (that I can remember) that were used for this makeover:

Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Foundation in Light 46

TOO FACED Milk Chocolate Soleil Light/Medium Matte Bronzer

Benefit Cosmetics Brow Zings in Medium

Hour Glass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Graphite (Smokey)

TOO FACED Better Than Sex Mascara

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque

Cover FX Illuminating Setting Powder in Light

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer

Laura Mercier Creme Eye Liner in Noir - True Black

What I left the store with:

Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Foundation in Light 46

Sephora Collection Bronzer in Los Cabos

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien

Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Intense Lipstick in Color 52

At the end of the day, I loved this look. I definitely will be saving up for the majority of the products listed above! I also plan on reviewing the products I took home as well in another post!

Have you ever gotten a makover from Sephora? How did it go? Where else have you gotten a makeover from and loved? I'm always open to new experiences, so if you have somewhere to recommend, leave me a comment!

Ipsy Glam Bag Review - January 2015

For those who don't subscribe, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service for $10 each month that sends 4-5 makeup/beauty products that are either sample sized or full sized in a Glam Bag. If you want more information or if you want to sign up, I would greatly appreciate if you subscribed using my referral link.

I've  been a subscriber to Ipsy for about 6 months now, and every month I say I'm going to do a review, and then I don't. So this month, being the first month of this year, I'm sticking to my guns and I'm reviewing my January Glam Bag! Keep in mind, Ipsy is NOT paying me to write this review, nor are they sponsoring it. This review is based on my honest opinion, and that's what I'll be giving. Keep in mind as well that these are 5 of a large variety of products that Ipsy sent out this month, and that all bags may differ.

This month's Glam Bag consisted of 5 items, Probelle "Into The Blue" Nail Lacquer, Hikari Cosmetics Eyeliner in "Storm", MALIN + GOETZ mojito lip balm, Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eyeshadow in "Ethereal", and the Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush

I'm going to be honest and say that this month's bag wasn't really exciting at all to me. I hate to complain, because this bag's value was about $40 when you get down to it. However, it seems that I get similar products every month. I've got enough cream/taupe colored eyeshadows and silver liners to last me a lifetime, and the truth of the matter is that silver eyeliner looks hideous on me. That being said, let's get to the individual product reviews, shall we?

Probelle "Into The Blue" Nail Lacquer - So this polish is a nice sky blue color, but I'm not digging it. I don't know if my recent obsession with Essie has spoiled me or if this polish is really just not the bees knees, but either way it's going in the "makeup extras" bag. The formula was just super watery and the color did NOT do my pasty mayonnaise complexion any justice.

Hikari Cosmetics Eyeliner in "Storm" - Let me reiterate my earlier statement: I look terrible in silver eyeliner. However, being the stubborn person I am, I will continue to try to wear it as long as I have it to wear. SO, being that this is the 3rd silver eyeliner Ipsy has sent me, I'm going to continue to try and try and try. This liner came in a very sturdy mechanical form, however, the liner itself was more of a dry texture, and getting it to go on was more work than was worth it. 

MALIN + GOETZ mojito lip balm - I love this. That's all there is to it. I love a good lip balm, and I love this. My lips rejoice.

 Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eyeshadow in "Ethereal" - Color me pleasantly surprised with this eyeshadow! I was actually dreading this the most, as every single month I've been receiving a shadow in similar colors (for real, i have enough to supply the world now). I can admit when I'm wrong though, because I love using this shadow as not only a base but as a highlighter on my cheeks! I'm going to cry when I run out, because these shadows only come in palettes on the Pacifica site.

Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush - A pro of this brush is that it's super soft. I like. The con is that it doesn't really pick up color as well as I like my brushes to. The pro outweighs the con, however, and one can never have too many brushes, so I will say thank you Ipsy and continue to use this.

Well, that's it for this month's bag. I'm desperately hoping next month is a good bag since it's Valentine's Day (and my birthday, hollaaaa). Definitely hoping I start getting edgier products, but as for my overall feeling, I'm still pleased with Ipsy.

What did you get in your bag this month? How did you feel? If you reviewed a January Glam bag as well, link me to your post in the comments so I can check it out!